THE BOOGIE MAN
Disclaimer: The Mummy Movies do not belong to me. They belong to Stephen Sommers, and I’m just borrowing them for some fun. Hallie belongs to me and to Alex, so as such she is not usable by anyone accept for us.
The great O’Connell Manor was now quiet, and Rick savored that time. His wife of fourteen years was at the museum doing her job. Alex who was now thirteen was at school, and the youngest O’Connell, Hallie, was finally taking her nap. She was three, and Rick found raising a daughter thus far, with the acception of a few mishaps, was a lot easier than when Alex had been three. Alex often teased that Hallie was not a true O’Connell, because she didn’t have the adventurous spirit that the rest of her family had. She was quiet, and very imaginative, enjoying playing on her own more than playing with others, and she was quite shy of anyone she didn’t know. Once the Parlor was picked up, Rick plopped down on the couch, ready to take a nap himself when he heard the familiar click of his wife’s heals. Evie walked in with a few bags, and Rick remembered that they were going to attend a party, a fund raiser for the Museum in a few nights.
“So did you find a dress?” he asked as he stood and went over to her. Evelyn set the two bags down which she carried, and gladly went into his arms.
“Only after searching almost ever store in London,” she said resting her cheek upon his chest, and suddenly noticing that it was quiet.
“So she’s asleep?” Evie asked, lifting her head to gaze up at his blue eyes. Rick lowered his head and kissed her softly before replying.
“Hopefully, but she seems to have a sixth sense when you come home early,” he said rubbing his nose against hers. He picked up both bags, and carried them to the kitchen, keeping them in site in case Hallie did wake up, knowing well she would likely try to play dress up. After setting the bags aside, Rick served them lunch, and they talked about their day.
“Sam arrived back from his vacation, and managed to contract a few deals for us,” Rick informed as he took a bite of oven fresh bread. Marie, their cook made wonderful meals, and it was always a life saver having her around for the really busy days.
“So it sounds like you will be busy.” Rick shook his head at that.
“Nothing I can’t handle from here,” Once lunch had finished Rick saw his wife out to her car, then took the dresses up to their room and put them away. With his tummy full, and not a care in the world, Rick decided to take a nap before he and Hallie had to go get Alex from school.
~*~
It was rare when Hallie took a long nap, and this day was not one of those days. When she awoke, she rubbed the sleep out of her blue eyes, then sat up spying her baby, and slipped out of bed going over to her rocking chair to retrieve him.
“Adam, shhh,” she said as she carried him out of their room, and down the hall to her fathers room. Generally Rick took naps when she did, so Hallie had known he would be there. Quietly she went to the end of the bed where her mothers old trunk was, and climbed on that, then onto the bed, crawling up to where her daddy lay.
“It time up now,” she said patting his cheek. Rick opened one eye, and grinned at her.
“Hmm, why don’t you lay here with me and we can take a long nap,” Rick tried. Having none of that, Hallie unceremoniously sat on his chest, causing Rick to grunt.
“Daddy, we got to get Alex,” she reminded. Rick took a look at the clock, and sighed, reaching out to move her dark hair away from her face. Hallie was the mirror image of her mum, with the acception of her blue eyes which she got from her daddy.
“We have a little bit of time before we need to go get him,” he said.
“I would like get up now, an go side, and have a picy nic,” she said.
“All right,” Rick replied always a push over for his little girl. Once he was up, Hallie left to get things she wanted to take outside with her, and once they were ready they headed outside to the gardens.
~*~*~
When the bell rang, Alex along with his other class-mates headed for the front of the building ready to be let out. He had hit a growth spirt, and was nearly Rick’s size, and skinny, though the way he ate, neither parent knew how he managed that. He still loved to learn, but what had changed was his love of sports like Rugby, and polo, both games his school supported.
“Hey Alex, you coming with us to the Sweet Shop,” Darby Frankel called out.
“Not today,” he answered. Darby was old enough to drive, and the captain of the Rugby team, and was a frequent guest at the O’Connell house. Both Rick and Evie liked him, because he was very well mannered and sincere, unlike a few of Alex’s other friends. Outside Alex found his father waiting, and hurried to the car finding his sister in the front. He opened that door and slid in next to her.
“You need to sit in back,” she said.
“Oh Hallie, there’s enough room for both of us,” he said. She pouted, but neither Rick nor Alex paid any attention as they headed home. On the way they talked about the up coming game, and Rick remembered that Evie had told him to ask Alex if he would look after Hallie the night of their party. Their regular sitter, Katelyn had fallen, and broken her leg, so they were in a jam to find someone to keep her.
“Hey pal, do you think you could keep Hallie for us on Friday?” Rick asked. Alex groaned at that.
“Ahh dad, Darby wanted to come over, we were going to go over strategies for the game on Saturday,” he said.
“Well he can still come, you two would just have some company,” Rick pointed out. Knowing that he wasn’t going to get out of it, Alex resigned himself to what he referred to as Hallie duty. Once they were home, he called Darby and told him of their fate, and was glad when his friend still wanted to spend time with him and his baby sister.
~*~
The night of the benefit party arrived, and Hallie stood in her parents room begging to go with them. She loved her big brother, but when he had friends over he was mean to her, and that she did not like.
“But I be good I promise,” she said resting her head on Evies lap. At her vanity, Evelyn was fixing her hair, and putting on her jewelry and make up. She looked down out her daughter and rubbed her back.
“Angel, you will have more fun here with Alex and Darby,” At that Hallie lifted her head and looked at her.
“I won’t cause he always mean at me.” she said crossing her arms.
“He promised me he would include you this time,” Evie said not swayed by that bit of information. Most of the time Alex was very good with her. There were times he teased her, but he had promised not to do that this time, and Evie trusted him to watch out for their baby.
“Daddy I want to go,” she said, running into the bathroom. At the sink Rick had just covered his face with shaving cream, and was now shaving.
“Sorry sweetpea, this is something little girls aren’t allowed to attend,” Rick replied. Hallie pouted, then laughed when Rick wiped a little shaving cream on her nose.
“Daddy when I get big like you an Alex I shave?” she asked. Rick chuckled.
“We’ll see,” he said. Hallie ran out, and Rick shook his head finishing his job, then wiped his face clean. Evie walked in and hugged him from behind.
“Do you see anywhere I missed?” he asked turning to face him.
“Hmm bend down,” she said. Rick did and she rubbed her cheek against his then kissed one cheek, trailing her lips over that area, then down to his chin, then up to the other cheek. Rick sighed pulling her closer, taking her lips in a demanding kiss. When they parted, both were out of breath.
“I think your fine,” she said. He gave her one last kiss, deciding they would continue what she had started later.
~*~*~
Once Rick and Evie had gone, Hallie sat in her brothers room playing with some soldiers he had given her on his bed, while he and Darby made out plans. With her brothers soldiers, Hallie played house, making families.
“Bonnie, be nice to your brother,” she had one solider say to another. Both boys looked up at her shaking their head.
“I don’t think she would ever do well in the military,” Darby said softly. Alex grinned.
“No, she would have all of them playing tea party. I found my dad in her room the other day wearing a hat and a scarf, I really wish I would have had a camera for that, though dad said if I ever took a picture of him dressed up he would throw me out,” Alex replied, then the two of them got back to game strategies. Their team was one of the top ranking teams in London, and tomorrow they were playing against another great team.
“Alex I’m done now,” Hallie called out. He sighed looking at his watch and smiled.
“Plan. Hallie, guess what time it is,” he said, glad that 8pm had finally rolled around.
“I don’t want to go to bed,” She said and slipped off his running out, or tried but Alex caught her and tossed her in the air. She laughed, then started to cry.
“I need mummy,” she sobbed. Having lived with his baby sister his whole life, Alex knew her tears were not real one’s, and continued to carry her in her room. Once there he got her to use the potty, then climbed in bed with she and her baby Adam.
“I want to know a story about Egypt,” she said.
“Okay well Mummy used to work at the Museum there...” Hallie cut him off.
“I want to know bout Imeltip,” she said. Alex had to stifle his laughter.
“Um Imhotep?” Alex asked. At her nod, he gulped. After all they had been through with him, Alex wasn’t sure telling her about him was such a great idea, but she begged, and desperate to get her to sleep, Alex started his story.
“A very long time ago, during the time of Pharaohs, which were the rulers of Egypt then, kind of like the King is of London,” Alex said. She nodded and he continued.
“There was a wise powerful man named Imhotep. He was Pharaohs adviser, and as well a priest, which means he could perform different rituals, like when people died he oversaw mummification,” Alex told her.
“Like in the Museum?” she asked lifting her head to look at him. At his nod, she placed her head back against his chest.
“Well Imhotep had an eye for Pharaohs mistress, Anck-su-nahmun, and they started to meet around the palace secretly, and kiss,” Alex said delivering a much milder version of the events which his mum had documented in her latest book.
“Thats very bad,” she said still wide awake.
“Yeah, well Pharaohs Daughter found out about that, and when she told him, Pharaoh went to confront his mistress. The bad thing was that Imhotep and Anck-su-nahmun knew he would do that, so they took knives and stabbed him until he was dead,” Alex said. That part for some reason had always fastinated him, and to wrapped up in his own fasination he told her all of that, plus the Homdai, and about the curse which their parents had been a part of. When he finished Hallie was asleep and Alex was glad, ready to go figure out with Darby how they were going to win their all important game.
~*~
It was fairly late when Rick and Evie returned from their party, and finding a quiet home was a good sign. In the parlor, they found Darby and Alex playing a game of Rummy.
“Hey mum, she did good, I even got her to bed on time too,” Alex said.
“Thank you,” Evie said, starting to go over and give him a kiss, then yelped when Rick yanked her back and nuzzled her ear.
“He has a friend over, I don’t think getting kissed by his mum is what he wants,” Rick whispered. The two left the boys to their game, and once upstairs and out of site, Rick kissed his wife, lifting her in his arms, continuing to kiss her as he carried her to their room. He was determined to finish what she had started in their bathroom, and when they got to their room he stopped kissing her, causing her to look in the direction of their bed. Hallie was asleep there, with all of her dolls and stuffed animals piled around her. Carefully Rick set his wife down, and for the moment their activities were going to have to wait.
“I’ll get her dolls if you get her,” Evie whispered. Rick, with both children had always been good about moving them in sleep without waking them. Carefully he lifted her into his arms and got her to her bed. After putting her in, and covering her Evelyn put all of her dolls and animals around her, wondering why she was suddenly sleeping with all of them. Her husbands hand pulling her out of the room didn’t leave her much time to ponder, and once in their own room she forgot, to consumed by making love to him to think of things other than the pleasure that came from Rick’s body in hers.
~*~
The scary dream woke Hallie, and she sat up crying rubbing her eyes, and that brought Rick.
“Hey sweetpea,” he said sitting beside her. He gathered her in his arms frowning when she continued to cry.
“Shhh,” he tried, as he stood up and began to dance with her. In a moment her cries stopped and she sighed resting her head against his shoulder as he continued his slow dance. In the beginning her arm around his neck held tight to him, but the longer he danced, the less she held on. When it fell away he smiled and walked back to her bed. Carefully he put her down, without a peep and tucked her in then went back to bed. When he arrived in their room, and once snuggled in bed, Evie rolled against him.
“What was that all about?” she mumbled against his chest.
“Not sure, she was really upset though, maybe a bad dream,” he said. As they started to drift to sleep, both heard a little sniffle.
“Hallie?” Rick asked sitting up. She walked to his side of the bed and he lifted her up, putting her in bed between he and Evelyn. Hallie snuggled against Evelyn, closing her eyes.
“Baby, whats wrong?” Evie asked.
“Scary tings,” she whispered as she sucked on her thumb. Rick had been right, but Hallie went to sleep before they could get anymore out of her, and once again Rick got up and put her in her bed.
~*~*~
The next Monday everything went as usual. Rick had to go in and talk to Sam about their contract with a man in Paris wanting them to build a yacht for he and his wife. While he had his meeting Hallie stayed with their secretary, Cecilia.
“No, you have to do it dis way,” she said trying to teach Cecilia the proper way to hold a tea cup. Cecilia was in her early twenties, and found Hallie as sweet as everyone else who met her did.
“Like this?” she asked. At Hallie’s nod the young girl smiled. They were just getting down to business, even having the Queen over for their part, when Rick and Sam came out of his office both happy, which meant things had gone well.
“Well I guess I’ll see you in two weeks,” Sam said slapping Rick on the back. Two weeks from now Mr. Filbert was coming in to meet them and finalize what he wanted on his yacht.
“All right Hallie, are you ready to head home?” he asked. She sipped her tea.
“No I not ready yet Daddy cause me and Cecilia having a tea party and The Queen is coming,” she replied. Rick shook his head, and gathered the rest of her toys taking things out to his car before he dealt with getting her out so Cecilia could type up their letter to Mr. Filbert. Once he had everything but the tea set packed in the trunk of his car, Rick went in to do the unpleasant work.
“Come on sweetpea, we need to let Cecilia get to work,” he said.
“No!” She said folding her arms. Rick went over and knelt down so that they were face to face.
“Hallie you don’t need to talk to me that way,” Rick warned.
“But I want to play with Cecilia,” she said softly. Rick leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Will you let me play tea party with you when we get home,” he asked. For a moment she considered that, and Rick thought she was going to leave willingly, then she looked away.
“I’m staying here,” she said. Rick sighed and got the rest of her teaset packed away, which made his little girl less than happy.
“NO nooo,” she cried hitting his legs as he walked out. She ran into his office and slammed the door and Cecilia heard the lock click.
“Hallie come out and you can have a sucker,” she tried.
“No not gonna do it,” she called back as Rick walked in.
“She locked your door,” Cecilia said. Usually that wouldn’t worry Rick, but he remembered that the keys were in there, and that was cause for him to worry.
“Hallie come on,” he said going to the door.
“I want to stay with Cecilia,” she said. Never one to like lying to his kid, Rick decided this once it wouldn’t hurt.
“Okay, you may stay here,” he said and walked out to the door of their building opening and shutting it, then hid behind Cecilia’s desk. The lock clicked and Hallie walked out. As soon as she was away from his office Rick grabbed her and gave her one swat on the bottom.
“You need to listen when I tell you to do something,” he said as she cried against his shoulder. Once he got her in the car, and on the drive home she fell asleep in the back of the car. Usually Hallie wasn’t so willful, and Rick guessed it had to do with the number of times she had woken up the past few nights crying about scary tings.
~*~
When Alex arrived home Hallie was still asleep, and Rick was listening to the radio.
“Hey Alex, did you by any chance tell Hallie anything out of the usual when you watched her on Friday?” he asked. Alex was about to go up to his room and work on a new model ship he had gotten, and when his father said that he turned.
“Well she wanted to know about um Imhotep, and I well I told her a mild version of that,” he said, knowing that he was going to get grief from that. Rick sighed.
“How much did you tell her?” he asked.
“I told her about the past, well um when he was alive and how he and Anck stabbed Pharaoh, but I think she didn’t get it,” he said.
“Alex, she understands more than you think, did you tell her anymore than that?” he asked. Alex sat down on the couch across from his father and told him exactly what he had said.
“I really wish you wouldn’t have said anything to her. I realize you didn’t meant to scare her, but she hasn’t been sleeping well because of that. Just watch yourself,” Rick said. Alex nodded and went up to his room feeling less than great. Hallie most of the time was one to drive him nuts, but he still loved her, and the fact that she was afraid because of him made him feel bad. After changing out of his school uniform, Alex went across the hall to her room and found her playing with her babies
“Hey squirt,” he said. Hallie looked up.
“You have to shh, cause Adam seepen,” she said. Alex grinned and walked in.
“Hallie, I didn’t mean to make you have bad dreams,” he said sitting down on the floor. Abandoning her baby, she walked over and plopped down on his lap.
“Will he come get me?” she asked. Alex sighed.
“He can’t, not anymore because dad sent him to a place where he won’t ever be able to come back,” Alex said, praying that were so. It had been five years since that time but even Alex worried sometimes
“I don’t got to be fraid?” she asked.
“Nope, because you have Ladie and she protects all of us, and because Dad and mum and me will keep you safe,” he said.
“Okay. Will you dress up?” she asked. Alex made a face, then decided he owed her and let her get him dressed up for a tea party. Outside their room Rick listened in knowing that he and Evie had done a good job raising Alex, and hoped they would do just as good with Hallie. Evie’s arms around his waste caught his attention.
“Spying?” she asked. Rick pulled her infront of him and kissed her gently.
“Just listening in. We have a couple of really good kids,” Rick said. She smiled and leaned up giving him another kiss.
“We could always try for more,” she teased. Rick looked at her then picked her up.
“I like the idea of what goes into trying,” he said as he walked in to their room shutting the door with his foot. Everything was as it should be, and at least for the time the biggest challenges were getting Hallie to realize that she was safe as long as she had her family to protect her.
THE END